


Building Blocks

by offensiveagentpie



Series: Newmann Husbands AU [3]
Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Dating, First Kiss, First Meeting, M/M, Science Nerds, more of my 'husbands' / Steve Irwin AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-17
Updated: 2014-11-17
Packaged: 2018-02-25 18:36:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2632094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/offensiveagentpie/pseuds/offensiveagentpie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How they meet, flirt, date, and eventually fall in love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Building Blocks

**Author's Note:**

> All you lovely anon prompters over on tumblr keep making this AU snowball out of control.
> 
> And I'm loving it.
> 
> This [one prompt](http://offensiveagentpie.tumblr.com/post/102872869360) that I've received has lead me to come up with a few more slice of life chapters for this particular world. I'll be posting them as chapters in this last installment.
> 
> I'm well aware that I'm working backwards relationship-wise, but I honestly had no idea this AU would be giving me such inspiration.
> 
> Please feel free to leave any and all feedback, as well as any prompt ideas you may have either here, or on my [tumblr](http://offensiveagentpie.tumblr.com/ask).

“Thank you again for your time, Dean Pentecost.”

The Dean of the Sciences Department gives Hermann’s hand a firm shake, “It’s always a pleasure to hear updates on your work, Dr. Gottlieb, please continue to keep me posted on any further advancements.”

If Hermann were a more fanciful person, he’d swear that he could feel the deep rumble of the man’s voice through their handshake. “Of course.”

“Oh, before you leave, if I could bother you for a favor?”

Hermann nods quickly. “Yes?”

Pentecost rummages through the top left drawer of his desk. “I have some papers that need signed dropped off in the Biology department. You will be heading that way to the parking lot, correct? I don’t want you to go out of your way.”

“It’s no trouble,” Hermann says, taking the manila envelope.

“Thank you, Dr. Gottlieb. Just give them to Dr. Geiszler, he’s in room G-18. Have a good weekend.”

“You as well, sir,” Hermann gives him a nod and heads toward the hall.

 

-oOo-

 

The most time Hermann has ever spent in the Biology department, is the few minutes he takes to walk the slightly ‘L’ shaped hall to get to the elevator from the underground parking lot level where the handicapped spaces are. He doesn’t particularly like the smell, and is quietly thankful that the scent of formaldehyde/over sterilization doesn’t carry up to the Physics department on the 4th floor. 

That being said, it takes him an almost embarrassingly long time to find the room. The numbers on the door frames go from G-15 to G-20, with nothing in between. Eventually, a grad student in a lab coat comes out of G-15; a loud burst of Styx’s “Come Sail Away” accompanies her.

“Oh!” she says in surprise, blinking at him from behind a pair of goggles. “Can I help you?”

“Yes, can you point me to room G-18 please?” Hermann says, fingers playing awkwardly along the edge of the envelope.

“Sure! It’s hard to find, we’ve got the weirdest little set up here. It’s gonna be through this door, and on your right.”

Hermann thanks her as she goes on her way, whistling the tune that’s playing at an almost unacceptable level inside. What Hermann finds is an oddly connected system of laboratories (bearing the rest of the missing room numbers, in another smaller hallway. When he finally reaches G-18, he sees that the lights are dimmed through the frosted glass. The room also seems to be the source of the music.

He knocks on the door. There is no response. He tries again…and still nothing. “Dr. Geiszler?” he calls, knocking a third time.

He jumps when a head pops out a door further down the hall. “Go on in,” the boy says with a chuckle in his voice. “He’s definitely in there…probably has his music too loud to hear you.”

Hermann purses his lips. He’d certainly believe that. 

He opens the door and lets out a sigh. There are boxes and specimen containers everywhere, he slowly makes his way through them. A few glass cages on the wall showcase a large assortment of lizards and frogs. A large glass tank near the bottom is suspiciously pulled out and empty. Hermann passes a filing cabinet with a radio perched on top. He reaches up and clicks it off, the room is suddenly filled with the croaking and chirping of amphibians.

“Hello? Dr. Geiszler? I have a packet of--- MY GOOD LORD!”

Hermann spins around to see a large yellow snake peering at him from its position in a desk chair, where it’s wrapped around a man’s shoulders. He stumbles back, cane clattering to the ground, and filing cabinets rattling as he grips them to keep from falling.

For a horrifying second, Hermann’s certain that the man is dead, that the snake has somehow choked him to death. But his shout startles the man awake.

“I’M UP!” he yells. “I’m up, I’m awake! What’s happening?”

He jerks forward in the chair, flopping thick framed glasses from the top of his head to his face. After taking a second to shove them up his nose and focus his eyes, he stares at Hermann, completely confused.

“Uh…everything okay there, buddy?”

Despite his heart still hammering in his chest, Hermann finds it in himself to become indignant. “No everything is not okay! I’ve come down here to deliver these forms to you, from the Dean himself, only to fight my way through an unkempt office and to be assaulted by a snake that I thought had killed you!”

A beat passes between them.

“What…Kaiceph? Naw, he wouldn’t hurt a fly, would you sweetheart?” the man (Hermann can only assume he’s Dr. Geisler at this point), strokes a hand down the snake’s body, kissing it on the forehead when it places its head demurely beneath the man’s chin.

“Well…it’s still hardly proper to fall asleep in one’s office in such a state,” Hermann says sniffing.

The man has the audacity to chuckle, standing up with his hand outstretched. “Late night going over data, couldn’t help myself. I’m Newton Geiszler, call me Newt.”

Hermann quirks an eyebrow at the name, and quickly shakes Newton’s hand. He sees a flash of bright colored tattoos at his wrist. “Dr. Hermann Gottlieb, and as I’ve previously stated, I’ve brought you papers from the Dean,” he says, offering the envelope forward.

“Probably more denials for funding,” Newton says with a weary sigh as he takes it.

Stooping to pick up his cane, Hermann can’t help an all too knowing smirk. “I know those forms all too well,” he says dryly. He’s not sure why he says it, he abhors small talk. 

Newton looks up at him with questioning eyes and, if Hermann’s not mistaken, trails his eyes slowly over Hermann as he does so. The dim lights thankfully hide the blush that most certainly does not rise to Hermann’s face. Newton is about to say something in response.

Hermann manages to catch himself, however, before any conversation can struggle into life. “Anyway, I really must be going. Do try not to scare the next poor unfortunate soul who wanders in.”

Newton smiles and laughs again, setting the envelope on his desk to give Kaiceph another fond pat. “Nah, he only spooks the cute ones,” he says before a moment of silence falls between them.

Hermann feels his neck go hot and wonders vaguely if it’s as red as Newton’s face is quickly becoming.

“Uh…can we pretend I didn’t just say that?” 

Hermann knows embarrassment when he hears it and decides that yes, that would certainly be for the best.

“Quite,” he mumbles, shuffling towards the door. Neither of them make eye contact again.

“H-have a good weekend, Hermann. Thanks for the delivery,” Newton stutters out as an afterthought.

“Dr. Gottlieb, if you please,” he says shortly, walking swiftly from the room, blood soaring to heat his neck and ears and heart pounding in his chest.


End file.
